1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for washing balls, particularly lightweight hollow plastic balls of the type commonly used in recreation areas in conjunction with a trampoline defined pit designed to hold a large quantity of such balls, and to provide a soft structure play unit. The balls are designed to provide a degree of support for children playing in the pit in that they provide a degree of buoyancy and afford a soft environment for play.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Apparatus for washing balls are known, particularly apparatus for washing golf balls. See for example the prior art U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,996. Typically, such a ball washer includes a hopper provided above a tank, and inside the tank a rotating brush is provided for driving the golf balls around a generally helical path, from an inlet associated with the hopper to an outlet where the washed balls are ejected, generally for movement by gravity down an inclined chute into a storage area.
Prior art apparatus designed to sort and wash relatively lightweight hollow plastic balls of the type designed for use in a recreational concave trampoline type pit have not been available. Moreover, due to the use of these hollow plastic balls in recreational trampoline type pits, and the fact that such recreational facilities are frequented by children, there is a need for providing a system to periodically clean such balls.